Lucky Day
by Luv2Game
Summary: A simple snow ball fight evolves into something a bit more than just childish fun for two of Caduceus' most prized employees. ::Derek/Angie Fluff::


**A/n:** Another Trauma Center piece. And this one has more than two sentences of dialogue. Heh. This actually started out as a desire to write about snow and turned into... well, a fluffy one-shot. But what's wrong with fluff?

Utter Derek/Angie. It's too cute to pass up. I'm gonna say this takes place in _Second Opinion's _time-line. They had to be in Europe because, last time I checked, California doesn't get much snow. ::wink wink:: No spoilers are really present though. So... Guess that's all I have to say! Hope you all enjoy it.

**Disclaimer: **Nope, _Trauma Center_ is not mine in any way, shape, or form.

_**Chapter 1: Lucky Day**_

_**xxxx**_

Stepping outside into the crisp winter air, Derek Stiles expelled a relieved sigh as the doors of Caduceus Europe swung shut behind him. It had been a long day. Though there had been no GUILT patients to attend to, his skills as a doctor had still been required and he was thankful to finally be able to end his work shift. He loved his work- helping people was his passion- but four hours of overtime was always enough to tire him.

Feet crunching through the five inches of snow lying on the ground, Derek shoved his naked hands in the pockets of his coat. He had been in Europe for over a month now and he still hadn't adapted to the climate change. He was constantly reminded that he was no longer in sunny California every time he stepped outside and he was greeted with a blast of cold air and falling snow; not the typical sunshine and heat of the West Coast.

Though the weather change still eluded him, he had grown accustomed to the difference in his work load. The European Caduceus branch was no different in expectations, and most patients still required a highly-skilled surgeon. Some of the GUILT patients he treated here surpassed the level of difficulty of his patients back in the States, and he knew that when he walked through the doors of the hospital he would have little time to rest. Even with Dr. Kimishima's help, his shifts were long and draining.

Not only did his patients require more time, but the paperwork was, if possible, even more daunting. Every little jot and tittle had to be recorded and, though Derek understood the importance of documenting, filing had never been one of his favorite duties. Even now a mountain of papers sat on his desk, waiting patiently to be filled out properly and sent on down the line. He should be sitting in his office right now, adding more hours to his overtime, instead of heading to the apartment he called home, but the thought of having to fill in all those blanks caused Derek's eyes to droop further than they already were.

If Angie knew he was slacking off on his paperwork...

A smile tugged at his lips at the thought of his assistant nurse. She'd easily kept up with their new work load. Her duties had intensified, just as his, and yet she took it in stride. It wasn't surprising, really. She had been committed to her job from the very first day he'd met her, always prepared and rarely caught unawares. He could clearly remember the day she had signed on as his assistant and the rocky beginning to their working relationship. Their bond certainly hadn't formed at first sight; it hadn't happened with their first operation.

Yet it had happened. Their operations together become smooth and fluid. Their work days were filled with laughs and smile, not clipped answers and silence. They became more than doctor and assistant- they became partners. Not only in the operating room, but outside of the hospital, as well. The laughs and smiles carried on beyond the walls, after their shifts ended. Dinner were shared, movies were seen, walks were taken; their professional relationship had transformed into a personal one. She'd helped shape him from a rookie doctor to the well-known surgeon he was today.

And if she knew he hadn't been filing away his sheets, she would have him march right back into the hospital and finish them up, even if it took all night.

Reaching his rental car, Derek dug the keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door, quickly sliding into the shelter it offered from the bitter wind. Sitting inside the small, European model, waiting for the car to warm up, his smile stretched wider. Her presence was lacking because of his extra work time and, though he was tired, he was suddenly thankful for the long shift. If Angela Thompson sat where she usually did, he wouldn't be thirty minutes from home- he'd be buried in papers.

Slipping the car into gear, the doctor couldn't help but chuckle. He doubted he would have such luck tomorrow.

_**xxxx**_

"We're going to be late."

"No, we're not. We're practically there."

"Yes, we are. 'Practically' isn't a guarantee."

Fingers clutching the wheel, Derek chanced a glance at his nurse, brown eyes quickly returning to the snowy road he drove on. Three inches of fresh powder lay on top of the pavement, turning the usual quick commute into a tricky situation. Snow was not something Derek had a lot of experience with, and he was surprised they had made it this far. Not only was he new to driving on winter roads, but the car sat so low to the ground he wondered how it trudged through the ice.

Somehow, he'd known he wouldn't have much luck today.

"Would you like to get there in one piece, or two?"

Leaning back into the leather seat, Angie sighed. "On time would be nice."

Derek choose to ignore her remark and instead focused on the blacktop. Flipping on the wipers, he watched as the flakes that fell from the over-cast sky were brushed away, hoping the falling ice would remain dropping down at the slow pace it did now. Any more accumulation and he wasn't sure they'd make it back home, let alone to the hospital.

Fifteen minutes later, the car pulled into the familiar parking lot of Caduceus Europe, shakily swinging into one of the few parking spaces not completely covered in thin ice. Switching of the ignition and feeling quite proud of his accomplishment, Derek turned to the woman beside him, pleased grin on his lips.

"Told you we'd get here on time."

Opening the car door, Angie pulled her beige coat tighter and adjusted her scarf, stepping outside into the winter air. Leaning into the car, she quipped, "Barely," before turning on her heel and walking across the illuminated, nigh-empty parking lot.

Pocketing the car keys, Derek swung open his own door, pulling on a pair of gloves as he followed after his nurse. Breathing in the cold air, puffs of icy breath circling over his head, he defended, "How was I supposed to know we'd have a foot of snow?"

Snow boots tromping through the fresh layer of powder, Angie rolled her emerald eyes. "It's hardly a foot, Derek."

Lagging behind the blond, wishing he had remembered his scarf, Derek fumbled with the buttons of his gray overcoat. "Ah, c'mon, Angie- you know what I mean."

"Try the news."

He didn't miss that light, sarcastic undertone. "I didn't get home until midnight. I barely got six hours of sleep!"

"Excuses, excuses, Dr. Stiles." All tones of admonishment had vanished, a soft, teasing tone replacing the reprimand.

Watching as his nurse neared the entrance of the hospital, Derek stopped his trek through the snow, a smile twitching the corner of his mouth. "We're here, aren't we?" he jibbed, running a hand through his brown hair, knocking the snow out of the messy strands. She merely hummed out an acknowledgment and Derek chuckled.

"Next time we get a little bit of snow, plan accordingly, hmm?" Gloved hand grasping the door to the hospital, Angie heard Derek ramble off something about 'a little' and bit back a laugh. Fingers pulling the handle, Angie was seconds away from slipping inside of the building when she felt a pressure hit her back; it took only an instant for realization to sink in and for her to whirl around, door closing with a resounding click.

"Derek Stiles, that was completely uncalled for," she declared, eyes condescending as her voice wavered, tone betraying her chiding.

Derek looked unfazed, lopsided grin on his lips and another ball of snow in his hands. "Pretty cold, huh, Angie? And a lot more than a little."

"Put that down! We're going to be lat-" Her statement died on her lips as the snowball Derek held left his hand and ended up on the front of her jacket, startled yelp ending her sentence. As the cold chill seeped through the material and the doctor's laughter cut through the morning air, Angie brushed the powder from her coat as calmly as possible, gleam entering her green eyes as she stooped down and formed her own ball of snow, thoughts of work suddenly far from her mind.

"That was highly unwarranted." Standing upright, she smoothed out the circumference of her weapon. "And very cold!" Pitching the ball at the laughing man before her, Angie watched as he easily dodged the attack, own giggles joining his as he retaliated.

"Hey! You're not supposed to fight back!" Reaching for a handful of snow, Derek lobbed it at the general direction of his nurse, forced to fight through the cold powder raining down on him. Her burst of giggles alerted him to the fact that he'd probably missed. "I'm handicapped!" he added, waving a hand in the air as flecks of snow dotted his glasses. His nurse simply laughed harder.

"Don't start a battle you can't win!"

Turning his back to her, Derek hurriedly swiped off his glasses, flicking the powder from the wire-rimmed spectacles. Replacing them, he grabbed a fistful of snow. "I never said I couldn't win!" Keeping his back to her, he fought through the snowballs Angie hurled at him, reaching her sides in minutes. Turning, he ignored the frozen ice that whacked him in the chest and held his own ball of powder over her head, smile stretching across his face.

"You're outta ammo, Ang."

Staring up at the precarious snowball, Angie's smile faltered. She was indeed out of armaments. Glancing down at her empty hands, her gaze turned to Derek and she felt her grin return, despite her current position. Snow was sprinkled across his shoulders, the powder clinging to his hair and jacket, cheeks flushed from the cold air and activity. Though he held the power now, it was clear to see who had truly achieved victory; though snow also dotted her attire, it didn't compare to the amount Derek sported.

She couldn't resist spouting, "You must be freezing, Dr. Stiles, covered in all that snow."

Derek's grin only grew. "Well, feel free to join me, Nurse Thompson." Crunching the ball of ice in his hand, Derek watched on in amusement as the powder fell over his nurses' head, settling in her blond hair and latching onto her brightly colored scarf. Her squeak of protest did nothing but spur his movements.

Dusting off his gloves, he snipped, "Welcome to the club."

Knocking away the damp bangs obscuring her view, Angie stared up at the doctor, expression sour though her eyes danced. Fingers combing through her hair, lifting away the loose snow, her gaze slid from Derek to the frozen powder that lay scattered across the sidewalk.

"You can have your membership back," she offered, digits dipping into the snow. Before she could fully right herself, she felt a hand grasp her arm and tug her up, pulling her near yet holding her captive, fingers holding the snow suddenly useless.

"Sorry." Leaning close, Derek grinned, keeping her arm lightly pinned between their bodies. "Once a member, always a member."

Smile slipping from her face, Angie glanced up at the doctor, shadow sweeping through her green eyes and replacing the mirth from seconds earlier. Sights turning to the sidewalk, she allowed the snow she held to slide through her fingers and onto the ground, eyes dodging his playful smirk as her heart jumped to life.

Keenly avoiding the doctor's eyes, she murmured, "We're.. going to be late, Derek..." There was a slight hitch in the softly spoken words.

Derek's brows shot up, quizzical frown erasing his smile. Though her words held truth, her entire demeanor had shifted without warning, laughter ceasing and bright grin disappearing in an instant. They had been having fun only a few short seconds ago. Albeit childish, he hadn't felt quite so alive or enjoyed himself so since arriving in Europe.

His frown deepened. He was sure Angie had been enjoying herself, too. He hadn't heard her laugh so unrestricted or seen her eyes light up in such a manner for weeks- she had joined him in the fight without question. Now she wouldn't even match his gaze, her eyes trained on the snowy walkway.

"Angie, what's the..."

Glancing down at the ground, hoping to see whatever it was his nurse was looking it, Derek's question slowly trailed off, understanding slowly dawning. He still held her arm, and they remained close together, practically chest to chest. He felt a heat creep into his neck. She wasn't _looking_ at anything. She was _avoiding_ him. Through all of their days together, all of the dinners, all of the car rides, all of the time spent together during and after work, they had never been quite so close.

Derek felt the heat spread to his ears. She was uncomfortable with the contact, which was understandable. They had never shared such a touch. It wouldn't take much to remedy the situation; a quick release of her arm and they could laugh it off and hurry to the hospital without blemishing their record. And though the solution was simple, Derek's fingers suddenly felt as though they had turned to lead, his own heart drumming to an erratic pace without so much as an explanation as to why.

Chancing a look at the doctor, Angie felt the lump lodged in her throat grow. He continued to hold her arm, eyes silently questioning. She wanted to turn from him, hide the feelings his touch controlled, the jangled nerves twisting in her stomach and the sudden shortness of breath. The yearning that he merely take his and hold hers. She wanted to look away, continue to harbor her feelings, but, try as she might, she couldn't break away from his penetrating gaze.

Still holding onto his nurse, Derek watched as she cautiously met his stare. His stomach flip-flopped, pulse ringing in his ears. The playful spark was completely hidden; an emotion he rarely saw his assistant emanate looking back at him instead. Anxiousness. She was nervous. It was an isolated display- he could count the number of times he had seen her look so vulnerable on one hand.

And yet, despite the hooded gleam, she didn't attempt pull away from him.

Derek had no idea what possessed him to shift forward, free hand moving to brush along her bare cheek. He had no idea why his fingers left her face and sought her unoccupied arm, gloved fingers wrapping around her cotton-clad hand. Perhaps it was the look of wonder that crossed her face when he stepped closer. Perhaps it was because he truly hated seeing anything but a smile on her sweet face. He wasn't quite sure.

When he moved even closer, body seemingly acting on it's own accord and face hovering very near hers, Derek had absolutely _no_ idea what he was doing. Seconds later when he closed the small gap between them, head dipping low and lips brushing hesitantly over his nurses', heart pounding in his head, he _still_ wondered just what he doing.

But as his nurse tentatively returned the kiss, fingers gently squeezing his, Derek found that he no longer cared.

Ending the chaste osculate, hands remaining wrapped around hers, the two resumed their staring match. Awkwardness and confusion no longer clung to the air in such a suffocating manner; a small grin tugged at Derek's lips while Angie fought to keep her blush from spreading across her entire face. No words were spoken as they continue to look at the other, both at a loss yet strangely content.

Derek, failing at his attempt to control his grin, could no longer keep silent. A twinkle in his brown eyes, he couldn't help but quip, "_Now_ we're late for work."

The blush Angie was trying so hard to manage tinted her cheeks a darker hue of pink. Shy smile touching her face, she muttered softly, "It was worth it," before gently removing her hands and turning away, entering the building with one last glance over her shoulder.

Watching Angie disappear from view, specks of snow trailing behind her, Derek felt his grin grow wider. Dusting the powder that remained attached to his coat away, the doctor followed after his nurse, unable to wipe the smile from his face. Funny what a simple snowball fight could escalate into. Though he may have gotten covered in freezing cold snow, he wouldn't trade his morning in for anything- a slight chill seemed a small price to pay for what he had just gained.

And to think, he had thought his day was going to be unlucky.

_**xxxx**_

**A/n: **You have no idea how many times I reread this, second guessing myself all the while. _Am I moving to fast? Where in the world is the plot? What in the world..? _Know what I finally came up with? _Heck, Valentine's Day is tomorrow! Pointless fluff for the win!_ Makes sense, no? XD So, yeah. The world is a better when Derek/Angie cuteness is involved, right? And I really did have fun writing this; hope you all had just as much fun reading it.

Feedback is love. It make meh happy. Yep yep.

Well, hope this pretty pointless one-shot made ya smile! Thanks for the read.

_- L2G_


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